My mom is here visiting again! When she arrived from a day of traveling, I served Chicken Katsu for dinner (with rice, miso soup, and misogreen beans- not a low sodium meal!). It was comfort food Japanese style. When I lived in Japan, this was a favorite dish to order at a mom and pop type of restaurant –the equivalent of a nice, hot diner meal here in the U.S.

Basically Chicken Katsu is breaded chicken served with a Japanese savory sauce made up of ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.

I like to trim the chicken breasts to make them thinner using kitchen shears. Then I pound them to an even thickness in a Ziploc bag.

To bread, I simply coat in flour, then egg, then panko (Japanese bread crumbs).

Then, I fry them up in a skillet and keep warm in the oven while I continue to cook…

Spring is here and I’ve got little baby beet seedlings in the greenhouse but I can’t wait 65 days for them to make beets.

So until then I’m getting organic beets at the store. They are a vegetable, in my opinion, that spans all seasons. We ate this roasted beet soup hot and cold and both were delicious. So if you’re still freezing your tush off- heat it up. If you are in CA and it’s gone straight from winter to summer- keep it cool.

Grilled red peppers, yellow squash, zucchini and pork shoulder chops on a bed of greens and millet is topped with a dressing concocted of olive oil, grilled red pepper, cocoa powder,worcester sauce, honey and a dash of lemon. You can add as much heat as desired. This recipe is based on the one I found in the June issue of Yoga Journal (a favorite of mine) and I think it’s a great one for this holiday weekend.

I think it would be just as lovely as it was written in Yoga Journal with grilled corn, black beans and a mesclun mix. But I opted for pork (just bought a LOT of local pork) and our garden greens which at the moment are tender young kale and spinach. I made the millet the night before and warmed it up with some broth- a little water and salt would do just fine.

Here’s another summer dish that’s fitting for dinner and a great one to take to a potluck… How many of you go to potlucks? It’s a regular thing here on Orcas Island. We don’t have a lot of entertainment.I think this zucchini pasta loaded with kalamatas, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and red onion should peak the interest of the paleo and plant based eaters alike! And anyone in-between for that matter.

I got this handy dandy spiralizer that I’m sure I mentioned last summer. or did I?

This thing rocks. I’m watching my zucchini plants blossom and literally can’t wait to harvest the first few baby zuchs. I cherish this anticipation and basically block out what happens after about the 100th green or yellow fruit. That’s when the livestock start doing the squash dance. Here are summer squash plants-

It was a smoke of many rains. Some times it fell from the ashen sky like pitch forks and hammer handles. Other times like puppies and anvils. And if it weren’t doing that, it generally sailed side-ways on a tempest’s fist, for to kiss you kindly on the face. Oh yes, it was a sporty day on the BBQ front. The storms drummed with great frequency over the land, washing the infinite contours there, and rushing the sodden gullies. For some this equates to borrowing indoors to stare glumly out the window, our plans awash, whilst the watery, wind-driven pellets tamp over the glassy pane. But I for one have always fancied a good rain. There is just something contenting about it. Something eternally right in its rhythmic splatters. About the way it sounds on the roof of a good home, whilst dozing under your favorite grandma blanket. Or the way it dapples…

Muffins are one of my favourite, quick treats to make. Usually little fuss is required, all can be done in one bowl, and there’s plenty to share. Muffins are also an excellent school or work snack and generally freeze very well. I like to freeze them in individual bags so everyone can grab and go as needed.

And sometimes you can dress them up with a wee bit of whipped topping. And since muffins are thought to be generally healthier for you than cupcakes, these are still considered healthy.

You’re welcome.

See the fruit in there? Large pieces of sweet, juicy, red farm fresh strawberries. We are still lucky to have some available locally, so my crew can enjoy these muffins all summer long.

This is a recipe that one of my gal pals shared with me. I have to say it hasn’t disappointed, I’ve made it many times!

With this heat around I want fresh cold juice to keep me chill all day long. So many recipes, so many ideas, it’s like you can have 1 hear of heat to try all the recipes.

This one came when I had a whole watermelon and no room in the fridge. So, I decided to make a juice from a half of the watermelon and the rest put in the fridge. It was a great idea. My little one was in heaven with this healthy juice.